…I have not bribed these American and European boys to become Krishna conscious. I have no money. When I went to America, I had only seven dollars. One hour’s expenditure in New York. There is no question of bribing them. But they heard about Krishna. I was reading Bhagavad-gita on the street, in the park, and chanting. They heard, and they came to me. They became attracted. Why?

Just Give Them Chance to Hear About Krishna
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lecture 1.2.17 Vrndavana, October 28, 1972
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Translation: “Sri Krishna, the Personality of Godhead, who is the Paramatma, Supersoul, in everyone’s heart and the benefactor of the truthful devotee, cleanses desire for material enjoyment from the heart of the devotee who relishes His messages, which are in themselves virtuous when properly heard and chanted.”

There is a English proverb that “God helps him who tries to help himself”. That is a English proverb. So to become Krsna conscious is not very difficult thing. People have no taste. They do not understand the importance of this Krsna consciousness movement. But this is the only way by which one can become perfect and happy.

It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that just to become happy and peaceful one has to learn three things.

If you want… Because the problem is that we want to be happy and peaceful. Everyone says, “I want peace. There is no peace in my mind.” That is a general understanding. Nobody can say that “I am completely happy and peaceful.” No, that is not possible. The material world is made in such a way that you cannot feel happy. That is not possible. First of all, we have come to this material world to enjoy sense gratification, but that is not our proper business. Our proper business is to satisfy the senses of Krsna, not our senses. So because we have deviated from our original position, therefore it is always a perplexity of our life. But due to illusion we cannot understand it.

Just like a hog is eating stool, living in a very filthy place, having sex without any discrimination, but you see, hogs are very fatty. They feel very happy. Unless one feels very happy, he cannot become fatty. This is a psychology. Yes. We have seen, sometimes, a confectioner, very quickly they become fatty. Because they always smell rasagulla. It is natural. You see. So the hogs, they feel very happy, and get fatty. You see. But actually what is the happiness? He’s eating stool, living in a filthy place and no fixity of eating. But still, he’s happy.
Therefore Prahlada Maharaja, when he was asked by his father, “My dear boy, will you kindly let me know what best thing you have learned from your teachers?” So Prahlada Maharaja replied,

“My dear father…” He did not say “father.” He said, “My dear the best of the demons…” His father was a demon, and he was not afraid of his father, although his father was always insisting him, “You give up this Krsna consciousness, learn like me, become a very big king, politician.” But he would say, “No. Sravanam kirtanam visnoh. This is best thing.” So that was the fight between the father and the son. So sometimes, after all, he was father, sometimes patting the son. So he replied, “My dear the best of the demons, asura-varya…” Asura means demon, and varya means the best. Tat sadhu manye ‘sura-varya dehinam. “I think for any living entity who has accepted this material body…”

All of us, we have accepted this material body. Tat sadhu manye ‘sura-varya dehinam asad-grahat, sada samudvigna-dhiyam asad-grahat. Because the living entities accepted this material body, asad-grahat… Asat means “that will not exist.” Every living entity is eternal. He must have his eternal body. But purposefully, to enjoy this material world, the living entity has accepted a material body. Not only once, but it is going on continually, one after another. As I am accumulating material desires in this life… Just like I have got this body according to my desires in the last life, similarly, whatever we are desiring in this life, that will be fulfilled in the next life. Krsna is very kind. As we desire, ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham. Krsna is so kind that if you want a tiger’s body, Krsna will give you. If you want a demigod’s body, Krsna will give you. If you want a body like Krsna, Krsna will give you. Mad-yajino ‘pi yanti mam. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Yanti deva-vrata devan pitrn yanti pitr-vratah. Whatever you want, especially in this human form of life, whatever you desire, Krsna will give you chance. It may be very unpalatable, but this is a fact. We have heard from authorities.

That is why in Vrndavana there are so many hogs and monkeys and dogs. This is very mysterious thing. The siddhanta, the conclusion is, we get it, information from Bhagavatam…Just like that, the two sons of Kuvera. What is the? Manibandha…?

Devotees: Manigriva.

Prabhupada: Manigriva…?

Devotees: Nalakuvara.

Prabhupada: Nalakuvara. They wanted extensively sense enjoyment. They were enjoying. At that time, Narada was passing. But they were so much intoxicated that they could not cover their body. So Narada cursed them that “You become a tree.” But when they were very much submissive, fell down on the feet of Narada, “How we shall get…?” he asked them to get the tree life in Vrndavana. And because they were put in Vrndavana, after some time, they were delivered.

So similarly, those who are executing devotional service, but at the same time cheating… Cheating means outwardly very devotional, inwardly doing all sinful activities. Such living entity is given the chance to become a hog and dog in Vrndavana so that the reaction of the sinful activities, they get this body; at the same time, due to their touch with the dust of Vrndavana, they become eliminated of all sinful activities and liberated. So these hogs and dogs, they’re also very important. They are not ordinary thing. But this is the explanation. The tortoise, the… They have, they have got… Therefore a devotee, when he’s punished in that way for the short time, they’ll be liberated. Undoubtedly.

Even one falls down, still, there is no loss. Because he’ll get the chance. Krsna will arrange in such a way. They’ll get the chance. So actually, there is no loss. But one must be purified completely. So to get this hog’s and dog’s life means they are being purified. They are being purified. But without being completely purified, nobody can enter into the kingdom of God. That is not possible. Yesam anta-gatam papam. So there is another version in Caitanya-caritamrta:

anivijna tare visaye khana diba
sa caranamrtam diye visa bhula iva(?)

If one, by mistake, while executing devotional service, at the same time, keeping his propensity for sense gratification, material enjoyment, then he is rectified in that way.

So we should be very much careful. Careful… It is said, ksurasya dhara nisita duratyaya. The spiritual path, Krsna consciousness path, is just like sharpened razor. You take your sharpened razor and shave your cheek. If you are expert, it will be very clean-shaved. But if you are not expert, there is little inattention, immediately cut and blood. Ksurasya dhara. This is an example. Durgam pathas tat kavayo vadanti. But the safest way… Here it is stated in theSrimad-Bhagavatam, srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah. If we attentively hear about Krsna, punya-sravana-kirtanah, if we hear about Krsna, it doesn’t matter what I am, but simply by hearing Krsna, about Krsna, I shall acquire some resultant action of pious activities. Just like there is the Bhagavata-saptaha. You, within a week, nobody can understand what is Bhagavata. And the speaker also does not know what he’s speaking. But because somehow or other, they’re hearing about Krsna, there is some pious resultant action.

That’s a fact.

So srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah. If we engage ourselves… Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted this process, simply hearing… That is the accepted process, sravanam, sravanam kirtanam. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu also accepted this process. Sthane sthitah sruti-gatam tanu-van-manobhih. He refused so many other processes of self-realization, beginning from varnasrama-dharma, jnana-misra-bhakti, karma-misra-bhakti, karma-tyaga. He, not rejected; he said, “It is external. If you know something more, speak,” when He was talking with Ramananda Raya. So when Ramananda Raya quoted a passage from Srimad-Bhagavatam which was spoken by Lord Brahma:

So Caitanya Mahaprabhu accepted that people should be given chance, some way or other, to hear about Krsna. That’s all. These meetings are arranged, these sankirtana parties are arranged… We are sending our men throughout the whole world simply to give them some chance to hear about Krsna. This is the process. And it is actually happening very effective. Simply.

When I was coming here, I was in Manila. What is called?

Devotees: Manila.

Prabhupada: Manila. Yes. Manila, in Philippines. So this Manila, Philippines, they eat dogs. But still they gave very patient hearing to krsna-katha. My last meeting was in a big hotel. Our Sudama Vipra Gosvami Maharaja arranged it, and it was very successful meeting. All full of young men. And they came to hear about Krsna. And they responded very nicely. They purchased books, they danced, they chanted. So this Krsna consciousness movement is progressing only in this basis: srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah. Just give them chance to hear about Krsna. We are not bribing them. I have not bribed all these American and European boys to become Krsna conscious. I have no money. I, when I went to America, I had only seven dollars. One hour’s expenditure in New York. You see. So there is no question of bribing them. But they heard about Krsna. I was reading Bhagavad-gita on the street, on the store, in the park, and chanting. They heard, and they came to me. They became attracted. Why? Because it is said here, hrdy antah-sthah. Within the heart, hy abhadrani…

People are suffering because they have got so many dirty things within the heart. The most important dirty thing are the modes of material nature. Sattva-guna, tamo-guna… Sattva-gunais also not dirty, but it is mixed with dirty things. And rajo-guna, tamo-guna is purely dirty.Rajo-guna, tamo-guna is purely dirty. Here, our intelligence is also dirty, because it is mixed up with these modes of material nature. In the material life, the int…, we are using our intelligence… Everyone is using, or…, his intelligence, how to become happy. The whole world is going on, working so hard. There is intelligence, certainly. But that is dirty intelligence. That is dirty intelligence. Dirty intelli…

What kind of dirty intelligence? That is described in the Bhagavad-gita: duskrtinah. Krti. Krtimeans very expert, krti. Krti. One who is expert, he’s called krti. But here the word has been added: dus. Duskrti. Duskrtin. Just like one who has discovered the atomic bomb. It has required very nice brain. Unless the scientist is very intelligent, krti, how he could discover such dangerous weapon? So there is intelligence, undoubtedly. But the intelligence has been wrongly used. Duskrtinah. They have discovered something to kill man. But they could discover something which will save man. But that is not possible. That is Krsna consciousness movement–which will save man. You can discover something to kill man, but you cannot discover something which will save man. That is Krsna consciousness. And it is very easy. Simply by giving some time to hear about Krsna. As soon as one sincerely hears about Krsna…

Krsna is situated in everyone’s heart. Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese arjuna tisthati. Krsna and I, both are living together within the heart as friends. Krsna is so sincere friend that He’s trying always to take me back again, back to home, back to Godhead. That is His business. But I am denying, “No, Sir, I shall remain as hog. I shall be happy by eating stool.” Krsna says, “No, give up this business.” Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. “I’ll give you protection.” “No, Sir, I’ll eat meat, I shall eat the stool. I have got very good facility for sex life without any discrimination.” There are so many so-called… I don’t wish to discuss, but sex life is so strong that they cannot give up even in so-called devotional life. So this is dirty things. Actually it is very dirty. But one can give it up if one is very strongly under the shelter of Krsna.

Yamunacarya says. If one… Krsna is Madana-mohana. If one is attracted, actually, by Krsna,madana cannot kill him. Krsna will save. So the… Actually, the dirty thing is our…, this sex desire. Sex desire increases our attachment for this world.

Everything is there, Srimad-Bhagavatam. The ultimate knowledge to understand everything. Unfortunately, they speak on Srimad-Bhagavatam, but not scrutinizingly, pointing out what are the defects in our life. They want to enjoy another type of sense gratification. Anyway, we do not wish to discuss. But actually, if we want to get rid of all dirty things from our heart, we must hear scrutinizingly about Krsna. This is the prescription given here. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah. If you do not understand, it doesn’t matter. You simply give vibration, hear the vibration. Just like we are doing. What, in European countries and American countries, they’ll understand? But we are sending in every important street. In New York we are sending in the Fifth Avenue, the most important street in the world. Fifth Avenue, New York, we are chanting. We have seen pictures in our Back to Godhead. They are chanting. In London, the most important street, Oxford Street, we send our men. In Melbourne, they’re, they’re now arresting. I do not know what is the position now. But they are prepared. These boys and girls, so nice that they’re arrested sometimes. Just like Kazi was torturing Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s party. Of course, now, civilized world, there is no such torturing, but our men are, very often they are arrested and put into jail also. But still, they go. They go every day. Now in London, the police has become disgusted. They don’t, do not arrest anymore. Yes. So I say that if you are arrested, why you should be sorry? You go in the jail and chant Hare Krsna. That’s all. So that others will get the opportunity to hear about Krsna.

So this is our propaganda. Krsna consciousness movement means we are giving chance to people to hear about Krsna. Srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah punya-sravana-kirtanah. The same thing can be done in India also. But we have got better field of activities outside India, I tell you, frankly. I am very much encouraged. Because the, we get very good response quickly. And they become immediately attached to Krsna, as you see the samples here. They have given up, on account of their attachment to Krsna, they have given up all their nonsense, orabhadrani. Abhadrani. Abhadrani. This, the principle abhadrani means illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating, and gambling. These are the four pillars of abhadrani. So by Krsna consciousness, Krsna helps. Srnvatam… When Krsna sees that “This man, this living entity’s now sincere to hear about Me,” He helps. Hrdi… Because He’s there. You haven’t got to find out somewhere else. You haven’t got to go to Himalaya to find Him. He’s here. Hrdy antah-stho hi. So He’s also within. And my all dirty things are also within. So as soon as He sees… I am also within. As soon as He sees that “This living entity’s now little serious about hearing about Me,” He helps. Hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani vidhunoti. He helps you. I cannot get out of these dirty things by my own endeavor. That is not possible. But Krsna helps. As soon as we are little serious to hear about Krsna, He helps.

Buddhi-yogam dadami tam yena mam upayanti te. Krsna says. Here, it is indirectly said that Krsna helps. And in the Bhagavad-gita Krsna directly says, “Yes. I give him such intelligence so that he may come back to home, back to Godhead.” Yena mam upayanti te. To whom? Tesam satata-yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam. One who is twenty-four hours engaged in the loving service of the Lord, and satata-yukta… Satata means twenty-four hours. Not officially. Of course, by official, one may gradually come to the position of satata-yuktanam. Bhajatam priti-purvakam. With faith and love, if one is engaged in the service of the Lord, then Krsna says, buddhi-yogam dadami tam. There are two things, buddhi and buddhi-yogam. Buddhi,ordinary buddhi, intelligence, that is dirty. But when it is yogam… Yogam means connected with Krsna. It is called buddhi-yogam.

So we require buddhi-yogam. Not buddhi. If we simply use our buddhi, intelligence, then we continue to become duskrtinah. Buddhi’s there, but it is utilized in a misdirected way. That is called duskrtinah. Therefore we must engage our buddhi… Because buddhi is the immediate step before we realize self. First our conception is indriyani, these senses. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah. We give very much importance to the senses. The bodily concept of life means to give importance to sense enjoyment. That’s all. This is bodily concept of life. So indriyani parany ahuh. They are very important. Those who are bodily, in bodily concept of life, they are addicted to sense gratification. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah. And those who are little advanced more, they are addicted to the mental speculation. The so-called jnanis, mental speculation. Manasas tu para buddhih. Then again you come to the platform of intelligence. Intelligence, and when the intelligence is purified,hrdy antah-stho hy abhadrani, purified, simply by hearing about Krsna, then immediately you are raised to the platform of spiritual life. This is the process.

He is very intimate friend of the sadhus, of the devotees. He is everyone’s friend. Suhrdam sarva-bhutanam. He’s everyone’s friend. God, Krsna, He’s everyone’s friend, but He’s a special friend for the devotees. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita. He says,

Priyah tesu te mayi: because He’s God, He’s kind to everyone; without His kindness, we cannot live for a moment. That is a fact. But if one becomes a devotee, He gives special protection. Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati. So therefore this human form of life is a special prerogative for the living entity, and if we take advantage of it and simply try to hear about Krsna, then our life is successful.